LAUNCHING INDUSTRY PLACEMENTSA letter template for launching industry placements to parents/guardians

OVERVIEW This template email (to be adapted as applicable) sets out suggested information for the senior leadership team to include in an initial communication to parents/guardians of students about industry placements.

You might also consider launching industry placements through other channels, including an information event with parents/guardians and students.

TEMPLATE[Insert

Address]

[Insert Date]

Subject: New Industry Placements Scheme for Students

Dear Parent/Guardian,

I’m writing to let you know about industry placements, a new opportunity for your child/young adult during the academic year 2018/2019 that will make a significant difference to their future employment prospects. These industry placements will give your student a valuable opportunity to put their learning into practice and develop technical skills, and will enable them to finish their course with the skills, knowledge and expertise that employers want.

Essential info   Students will spend a minimum of 45 working days with an external employer in

a role directly relevant to their course. The placement will be a good fit with the course, meaning students will be able

to learn the relevant technical skills for their industry. Those eligible for our support for expenses such as transport will continue to

receive this. Some employers may pay a wage or cover expenses. The placement for your child/young adult will take place during [insert term],

from [Insert date] for [x] days, over [x weeks]. Completing the placement is compulsory. Non-attendance will be dealt with

through our disciplinary procedures.

What are the benefits for students? Build and develop technical skills, increasing their competence and ability to

progress into skilled employment. Further develop “soft skills” such as communicating, teamwork and problem

solving. Gain deeper knowledge of the running of a business and general commercial

principles.

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Opportunity for personal growth: develop self-reliance, step out of their comfort zone, build confidence and learn about themselves. Identify strengths and preferences for future career options.

Potentially secure a job or apprenticeship with the employer afterwards and on completion of the course (this was the case for several students involved in the pilot last year).

Build a valuable working relationship with an employer, resulting in a more meaningful reference to use for future job applications.

Grow their network in the industry (including making contacts in other organisations), helping them to identify future job roles.

In summary, we believe that involvement in an industry placement will make a significant difference to a student’s future employment prospects. We aim to give them every opportunity to make sure that when they finish their course, they are best placed to succeed, whether that is through higher level technical training, an apprenticeship, higher education or moving directly into employment. A meaningful industry placement will make them stand out against other applicants in the job market.

We’ll support each student in finding the right placement, and will have a designated contact here who will keep in touch with them and visit the workplace to check in and support their progress.

What we expect from students We will help students to prepare for working life before they start the placement.

During the placement, students will be expected to:

Work towards the learning objectives they have set in advance. Track progress by keeping their log book updated, having regular one-to-one

meetings with their line manager and tutor, and attending any necessary reviews.

Meet professional standards and etiquette and abide by all rules regarding health and safety during the placement.

For more information speak to [Insert Name & position of relevant education provider contact].

Yours sincerely,

[Insert Name of Education Provider Tutor/ Senior Education Provider Staff Member]

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ANNEXExamples of success stories from last year’s pilot[Note: choose up to 3 relevant stories to include here. These could be from the following list; from difficult routes (such as Creative Media); or stories from your own experience. Consider including as an attachment to keep email shorter.]

Route: Digital

Education provider:

A city-based education provider (multi campus)

Employer: Provider of custom digital services to businesses

Description of placement:

Assist with creation of a mobile app for the company’s customers

Feedback from student:

“Really enjoyed placement, which included designing a storyboard to be used in the live app.”

Feedback from employer:

“I was really impressed with the student’s input and the way he was not afraid to put new creative ideas forward and put his own mark on projects he was working on.”

Route: Health & Science

Education provider:

A city-based education provider group

Employer: Scientific research

Feedback from employer:

The student spent time learning about epigenetics and assisted with a groundbreaking experiment in the lab in which they were watching populations of the bacteria E. coli evolve in real time. The results from this are very exciting and the employer hopes to publish them in a scientific journal, with the student as one of the co-authors. “The student was dedicated and conscientious and has proved herself to be a real asset to the research team. Overall I have been very impressed with the student and she is a great ambassador for the T Level programme as a whole” - manager

Route: Digital & Business

Education provider:

A coastal town education provider

Employer: A software house dedicated to healthcare applications

Description of placement:

An innovative placement: seven students working together on a real business in which they're entitled to shares in whatever they create. They're working to develop a piece of software to tackle the issue of bed blocking in the NHS, by allocating patients to available beds.

Feedback “I find this new industry placement idea so much better than the standard

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from student: work experience because you actually have ownership of a new business to show for it at the end, as well as great skills learned. These skills will be transferable, and in fact invaluable, to my future career.”

Feedback from employer:

“This model of innovation and collaboration seems to work really well - a great example of how digital placements can work.”

Route: Business and AdministrationEducation provider:

A town-based education provider (in rural area)

Employer: Foster care agency

Description of placement:

The student had a computer-based role supporting the office manager and deputy office manager. The student was responsible for maintaining and updating HR files in accordance with company policies and procedures including the audit/ spreadsheet of all staffing files.  

Feedback from employer:

The student was “very pleasant and conscientious”. He was paid the national minimum wage for his age group as opposed to the apprentice rate of £3.50. (Note that payment is at the discretion of the employer and does not indicate the “value” of a placement.)

Route: Catering

Education provider:

A rural education provider group

Feedback: 80% of students are being offered full time employment after a few weeks on their placements. Almost all students will be starting full time jobs or apprenticeships once they finish education provider.

Timeline for studentsThis guidance is for students to help them plan and prepare for industry placements. [Education providers may want to edit and/or add anything that is specific to them.]

Timing Task

At least 2 months before placements start

Attend presentation to learn about industry placements

At least 2 months before placements start

Notify and inform your parents/guardians about industry placements

At least 2 months before placements start

Discuss your interests, skills, any potential barriers (part-time jobs, caring responsibilities) with the industry placements team to allow them to match you (and notify the team if you’re contacting to employers yourself)

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At least 2 months before placements start

Attend preparation sessions

At least 2 months before placements start

Write your CV, prepare for interviews, and get any necessary certification that may be applicable to your industry

At least 2 months before placements start

Contact any employers you’re interested in and apply

At least 2 months before placements start

Notify the industry placements team about employers you have been in touch with

2 months before placements start

Receive list of suitable employer(s) for your industry placement and choose which you’d like to be matched with

1-2 months before placements start

Do employer assessment/interview (if applicable)

1-2 months before placements start

Give the industry placements team your employer preferences, if you’ve been matched with more than one

2-6 weeks before placements start

Find out which industry placement you have been matched with

2 weeks before start date

Attend an industry placement agreement meeting with your tutor and employer (and your parent/guardian if necessary)

Up to 2 weeks before start date

Do any training required by your employer

Start your industry placement!

Ongoing Schedule regular one-to-one meetings with your line manager, throughout the placement

Ongoing Schedule regular one-to-one meetings with your tutor or industry placement contact, throughout the placement

Half-way through placement

Attend Mid-point review meeting

End of placement Attend Final review meeting

End of placement Follow up with your employer to thank them and ask for a reference

End of placement Complete feedback on the employer

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After placement Complete your course!

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

My child/young adult hasn’t had a good experience with work experience in the past — why would industry placements be any different?Traditional work experience usually involves students working for just one or two weeks, often placed in a role or business that’s not very relevant to their studies and interest. The new industry placements will last a minimum of 45 days, and students will be placed within businesses relevant to their course, meaning they develop the skills they really need to progress in their field of study.

Will my child/young adult be making the tea and photocopying?No! Industry placements are a big step above work experience. Students will work on projects that help them gain the experience they need to start their career.

“I find this new [industry] placement idea so much better than the standard work experience because you actually have something to show for it at the end, as well as

great skills learned. These skills will be transferable, and in fact invaluable, to my future career.” - Student Feedback from 17/18 Pilot

But won’t this take them away from their studies? No — the industry placement is designed to be an integral part of the course: their studies will prepare them for the placement, and the placement will add real value to their course. Our senior managers, curriculum leads and tutors will work closely with each other to ensure this is the case.

How can I be sure they will receive a good placement? We will match your child with a business that is directly relevant to their course. We’ll ensure that the employer has relevant work for them, and provides a good standard of line management so they can receive the coaching and support needed to learn. The student will also be able to provide us with a list of preferences for which employers they’d most like to work with. This will be done in good time before the industry placement.

Will they get paid?Industry placements are about providing students with high quality, meaningful training, not work. Therefore, students are not entitled to a salary as the placement is forming part of a course of further education. There is no legal requirement or expectation that T Level students will be paid. However, employers may pay the student should they wish to or support the student with their travel and subsistence costs.  

What about their part-time job? We’ll give plenty of notice of the placement start date, to allow them to change shifts if needed. Also, if their job is related to their course, we can work with them to see whether it would be appropriate to consider as their placement.

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What does my child/young adult need to do? They must attend the placement. They will be accountable to a line manager at the workplace, who will expect

them to meet professional standards in things like punctuality, communication and teamwork.

They must adhere to all health and safety rules at the business. They’ll need to complete a log book during the placement, reflecting on their

learning and development.

What checks will be done to make sure this is safe? We will run due diligence on all employers for health and safety, insurance and safeguarding purposes.

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These materials have been created by The Challenge. For all enquiries regarding industry placements, please contact the Education & Skills Funding Agency Service using this online enquiry form, or by searching gov.uk for the Industry Placements page.